Biomolecular Sciences

Why Biomolecular Sciences?

Modern society faces an ever-increasing variety of challenges in the Life Sciences. Improved medical care has resulted in an ageing population, creating a greater need to understand and treat age-related disorders such as various forms of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Bacteria under high selective pressure are acquiring broad antibiotic resistance, so we are constantly forced to develop new and innovative antibacterial drugs. And the potential risks inherent in industrialized food production are only just becoming apparent.

It is more and more obvious that a thorough understanding of the molecular basis of the underlying cellular processes is essential to any successful and safe intervention. Moreover, the Biomolecular Sciences are increasingly encroaching into the realm of technology. The MSc Biomolecular Sciences aims to prepare students for a career within the international Life Sciences research community.

The Master’s programme in Biomolecular Sciences takes two years and comprises 120 ECTS. The entire programme is taught in English. The teaching is done in the form of lectures, research tutorials, work groups, demonstrations, lab visits, lab practicals and training, and specific computer-assisted applications.

There are many job vacancies for those with a Master’s degree in Biomolecular Sciences. Some graduates work for medical product manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies. Most of our graduates aspire a career in research and go on to earn a PhD. Others continue their studies as postdoctoral researchers, work as university lecturers or hold jobs in industry.

If you only have a Bachelor’s degree, your scope in this discipline is limited, especially in research. This scientific domain has burgeoned in recent years, so an additional Master’s programme is an absolute must. A Masters degree in Biomolecular Sciences is a great start for a scientific career. With this degree you will be prepared to conduct PhD research at any university or specialist institute.

Good, well-motivated students who aspire to a career in research could consider taking a PhD and continue their studies as a postdoctoral researcher. Further study is essential to obtain a higher research position. Positions such as university lecturer, senior lecturer, or professor and many jobs in industry (DSM, Unilever, et cetera) are held by people with a PhD in Molecular Biology or Biochemistry. Obviously, a PhD is not necessary for all jobs. You could also make a career in management or as a representative for medicinal products or chemicals etc. A Master’s degree is an advantage in these positions.

Spending part of the programme conducting external traineeships and research projects helps to prepare and familiarize students with the labour market. In addition, students are introduced to the labour market during Business Days organised by NiBi (the Netherlands Institute for Biology). Seminars given by people from trade and industry are organized every year at a different Dutch university. More information on NiBi can be found on the Dutch website www.nibi.nl

The field of Biomolecular Sciences is a core research area at VU Amsterdam. Much of the faculty’s research in this field has been bundled in a single organization, the Institute of Molecular Cell Biology (IMC), a leading research institute in the scientific world.

Our wide-reaching network of research institutes gives you as a Master’s student the opportunity to fulfill your work placements in a cutting-edge research environment here and abroad.

You will learn to work with state-of-the-art techniques to conduct essential research in this vital field of study. A good example of the technology we use in our research is the development of fluorescence techniques, which can be used to identify the location of certain proteins in a cell visible.

Members of the Biomolecular Sciences teaching staff come from diverse backgrounds and work in various faculties, hospitals and companies. Students can count on training and guidance from teachers who all have extensive international experience.
Also the students have various backgound in degrees and countries. Apart from students from Dutch Universities many Biomolecular Science students come from the HLO and from other countries all over the world.

Overview Biomolecular Sciences

1 April for non Dutch EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students* 1 June/15 july for holders of a Dutch bachelor’s degree (with a Dutch or EU/EEA nationality). * non Dutch EU/EEA students with an international degree who do not need housing services through VU Amsterdam can still apply until 1 June.

A new method to fight tuberculosis
After a period of relative calmness, tuberculosis seems to be on advance again, causing currently some 2 million casualties per year. Mycobacterium tuberculosis excretes different proteins all playing a role in disease development. Knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of excretion can be applied in the development of new drugs to fight the bacteria.

Regulation of gene expression
It is a miracle how a single fertilised egg cell develops into a complex organism and how undifferentiated stem cells can be assigned to take their role in this process. Expression of genes in eukaryotes is often controlled transcription factors, but in addition there is also post-transcriptional control. Unravelling these regulatory networks will open up huge possibilities in biomedical and biotechnological research.

Virus induced cancer
Do virusses play a role in the development of cancer? Research from the VU University in Amsterdam suggest that they indeed do. These findings are important for the development of new cancer therapies.

Busy traffic within cells
Within our cells, there is ongoing and busy traffic of nutrients, organelles and signalling compounds, driven by motor proteins. In order to visualize, count and track these motor proteins and figure out how they cooperate in their job advanced new microscopy methods have been and still need to be developed.

There are an unlimited number of options for internships available. Your internship can be in- or outside VU University Amsterdam, VU Medical Centre (VUmc) or the Netherlands. We advise those students without much practical (internship) experience, to find an internship at VU University Amsterdam. In this case, you will be guided by lecturers. In general, in a medical center or a company students are expected to be more independent.
Internships can be found by contacting lecturers of the courses you are attending or look at the research pages of:

VU University Amsterdam

Medical Centers like VUmc, LUmc, AMC, UMC and Erasmus MC

Research institutes like NKI, ACTA (dentistry), AMOLF or KIT

Companies like Sanquin

Your second internship can be done abroad, as by then you are more experienced in doing research. Organising an internship abroad takes more time and you can consult our International Office for the formalities.
For an internship outside VU University Amsterdam or VUmc a second VU or VUmc lecturer is required for supervision. Before starting an internship, the internship should be approved by the master's coordinator. For a literature study the rules and procedures are the same. The difference with an internship is that the research is based on literature.

Specializations

Program structure
The Biological Chemistry track starts with the compulsory program that runs from September until February. Apart from the first two courses, individual choices regarding the Biological Chemistry program can already be made in the compulsory program. After the first period, students start with one of their two internships. A Major internship in either the Molecular Toxicology or the Medicinal Chemistry section can be extended with additional theoretical courses that provide in depth knowledge of their respective research areas and methodologies. A literature thesis and colloquium and additional courses of choice will complete the full 120 ECTS of the Master program, which takes 2 years.

Compulsory courses
The Biological Chemistry track will start with the compulsory program:

Protein Science (6 ECTS, Sept)

Genomes and Gene expression (6 ECTS, Oct)

Followed by a choice of either:

Drug-induced Stress and Cellular Responses (6 ECTS, Nov) AND/ OR

Signal Transduction in Health and Disease (6 ECTS, Dec)

If only one of these courses is followed, one of the following courses, can be chosen as alternative as well as other courses from this or another Master’s programme.

Cell Structures and Function (6 ECTS, Nov) OR

Evolving Networks (6 ECTS, Dec)

In January and February, several technical modules can be selected. The aim of these modules is to prepare the students optimally for their research internships. The students can use this period to acquire (new) research skills and to get acquainted with possible areas of research in which they may want to do their internships.

Formative Academic Skills (9 ECTS in total)

Ethics (3 ECTS)

Business and Innovation in Life Sciences (3 ECTS, Choice option)

Scientific Writing in English (3 ECTS)

Work placements
Your work placements will account for a minimum of 60 ECTS, one shorter work placement (24-30 ECTS) and one longer work placement (30-36 ECTS). You are free to carry out your work placements within VU University Amsterdam or VUmc, at a hospital or company or an institute or other university in the Netherlands or abroad. Your first work placement should preferably be carried out in Amsterdam.

Literature survey
Under supervision of a lecturer from the teaching staff, the students will explore a subject in the literature to answer a specific scientific question. The results will be presented in a thesis and a colloquium (9 ECTS).

Optional courses
The remainder of the 120 ECTS of the Master track Biological Chemistry can be used to attend courses of choice. Those can be courses or selected topics offered within the Biomolecular Sciences Master program, the Drug Discovery and Safety program or other Master programs. The Molecular Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry groups offer two in-depth courses covering aspects of High Throughput Analysis, Protein Modeling and Analytical Chemistry:

Chemical Biology (6 ECTS) and

Project Computational Design and Synthesis of Drugs (6 ECTS)

Examples of selected topic are for example:

Epigenetics (6 ECTS)

Structural Biology (6 ECTS)

Optional courses of choice need to be approved by the track coordinator.

Online course information with respect to Biological Chemistry can be found at course guide.

For more Information, contact the programme coordinator Biological Chemistry.

Programme structure
The Cell Biology compulsory courses run from September to the end of February. Most of the students begin with this. Students who need to catch up on certain subjects can take specific Bachelor’s courses in this period so that everyone is at the same level in February. Most students start their first work placement after the compulsory courses. The second work placement, the literature survey and the additional selected topics form the main elements of the second year of study.

The full Master’s programme takes two years and is worth 120 ECTS. The programme consist of the following elements:
Compulsory courses
The Cell Biology programme starts in September and October with two compulsory courses:

Protein Science (6 ECTS, September);

Genomes and Gene Expression (6 ECTS, October);

Followed by a choice of either:

Cell Structures and Functions (6 ECTS, November);

Evolving Networks (6 ECTS, December)

If only one of the above mentioned courses is followed, one of the following courses can be chosen as alternative as well as other courses from this or another Master's programme:

And a program with technical modules in January until March of which also 6 ECTS are compulsory. This programme provides you with a thorough grounding in the subjects and methods of the Institute and prepares you for one or more work placements.

Formative Academic Skills (9 ECTS total)

Ethics (3 ECTS)

Business and Innovation in Life Sciences (3 ECTS, Choice option)

Scientific Writing Skills in English (3 ECTS)

Work placements
Your work placements will account for a minimum of 60 ECTS, one shorter work placement (24-30 ECTS) and one longer work placement (30-36 ECTS). You are free to carry out your work placements within VU University Amsterdam or VUmc, at a hospital or company or an institute or other university in the Netherlands or abroad. Your first work placement should preferably be carried out in Amsterdam.

Literature survey
As a Master’s student you are also required to carry out a literature survey (9 ECTS). You are expected to complete this task more or less independently, though you will, of course, receive expert guidance from one of the teaching staff. You can decide on your own topic and research question.

Optional courses (12 ECTS)

Two courses can be selected from the course programme as mentioned above

One or more courses can be selected from ‘selected topics’

The traineeship can be extended with 6 ECTS

Courses can be selected from other programmes within the Master.

Courses can be selected from other masters.

In case of any deficiencies, a maximum of 12 ECTS can be spend on Bsc courses.

The research institute BioCentrum Amsterdam offers a number of short and intensive courses in among others mass spectroscopy, protein purification and protein synthesis.

Selected topics (each 6 ECTS)
The aim of the selected topics/optional components is to provide you with in-depth knowledge of various areas. You will deal with the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. Your choice of courses and optional components will depend on your own interests and the topic of your research work placements. If necessary, you can take a tutorial to fill in any gaps in your existing knowledge. The optional components in the Master’s programme in Cell Biology are:

Epigenetics

Structural Biology

Protein Structure as Molecular Basis of Disease

Molecular Biotechnology

Cellular Protein Trafficking

Once you have passed all the components of the Master’s programme, you will be awarded the title Master of Science in Biomolecular Sciences. This is recognized internationally.

Online course information with respect to Cell Biology can be found at Course guide

For further information about admission to the programme you can contact the mastercoordinator.

Once you have been admitted to the Master’s programme by the Master’s Admission board, you have completed the first part of the procedure of becoming a VU student. During the 2nd part you will be informed about all that is required to register as a VU student. International students will also be contacted by the VU Admission office about how to prepare for their stay in the Netherlands.

In order to gain admission to one of or Master’s programmes, you will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or institute of higher education including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 ECTS or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score.

To be considered for admission to the Master’s programme in Biomolecular Sciences you must meet the following requirements depending on your previous education:

WO Bachelor degrees from Dutch universities in related fields:
Admission to the Master’s programme in Biomolecular Sciences is possible with a Bachelor’s degree from VU Amsterdam in Biomedical Sciences, Gezondheid en Leven (major Biomedische Wetenschappen) or Biology. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Medical Natural Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Molecular Life Sciences, (Bio)chemistry or related studies from another university in the Netherlands, you can also enter the Master's programme.

In all of the above cases, students should also meet the following criteria:

An average Bachelor grade of 7.0 or higher

A Bachelor internship in a relevant field (Biochemistry/ Cell Biology) with a minimum grade of 7.5

If a final grade is not yet available an interim evaluation by the internship supervision will be considered.

WO bachelor students from other fields, students from institutes of higher education and international students:

If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch university in a field not mentioned above, a Bachelor’s degree from an institute of higher education in the Netherlands, or a Bachelor’s degree from abroad, the Admission board will decide on your admission based on the following criteria:

A minimum of 24 EC coursework in Biochemistry/Molecular Cell Biology at the 300 level (last year of Bachelor).

An average Bachelor grade of at least 7.0 out of 10, or equivalent (GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, second class upper division or higher).

Bachelor internship in a relevant field (Biochemistry/ Cell Biology) with a minimum grade of 7.5 out of 10 or equivalent in other grading systems. If a final grade is not yet available an interim evaluation by the internship supervision will be considered.

Experience with practical laboratory techniques gained in coursework and the Bachelor internship.

Academic competence at the MSc level and motivation for a career in research which will be evaluated during an interview (either in person or by computer).

HBO/HLO students:
Some HBO/HLO specializations (for example the research specializations Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or Biotechnology) provide adequate preparation for the Biomolecular Sciences Master's programme. The Admission board will decide about admission on the basis of the above criteria. In some but not all cases, admission may be possible without the need for a pre-master programme.

General language proficiency requirements
VU Amsterdam requires English at VWO level. HBO students are required to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. In order to assess their English proficiency by the Admission board, EU students including Dutch students should contact the Master’s coordinator first. If applicable they can get an exemption from the language test. Exemptions are given to students who have completed their education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia, who have obtained an international Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate diploma and students from a Dutch University College such as AUC.

Contact
In case you wish to contact the Master’s coordinator for information or advice you need to know that no rights can be derived from the reply given by the coordinator regarding your admission. The Master’s coordinator will evaluate your application and advise the Admission board on conditions for your admission. The Board will review the application and the coordinator’s recommendation, and will decide if you can be admitted and under which conditions. Only by the admission email you will be notified about your conditional or unconditional admission.

Once you have been admitted to the Master’s programme by the Master’s Admission board, you have completed the first part of the procedure of becoming a VU student. During the 2nd part you will be informed about all that is required to register as a VU student. International students will also be contacted by the VU Admission office about how to prepare for their stay in the Netherlands.

In order to gain admission to one of or Master’s programmes, you will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or institute of higher education including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 ECTS or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score.

To be considered for admission to the Master’s programme in Biomolecular Sciences you must meet the following requirements depending on your previous education:

WO Bachelor degrees from Dutch universities in related fields:
Admission to the Master’s programme in Biomolecular Sciences is possible with a Bachelor’s degree from VU Amsterdam in Biomedical Sciences, Gezondheid en Leven (major Biomedische Wetenschappen) or Biology. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Medical Natural Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Molecular Life Sciences, (Bio)chemistry or related studies from another university in the Netherlands, you can also enter the Master's programme.

In all of the above cases, students should also meet the following criteria:

An average Bachelor grade of 7.0 or higher

A Bachelor internship in a relevant field (Biochemistry/ Cell Biology) with a minimum grade of 7.5

If a final grade is not yet available an interim evaluation by the internship supervision will be considered.

WO bachelor students from other fields, students from institutes of higher education and international students:

If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch university in a field not mentioned above, a Bachelor’s degree from an institute of higher education in the Netherlands, or a Bachelor’s degree from abroad, the Admission board will decide on your admission based on the following criteria:

A minimum of 24 EC coursework in Biochemistry/Molecular Cell Biology at the 300 level (last year of Bachelor).

An average Bachelor grade of at least 7.0 out of 10, or equivalent (GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, second class upper division or higher).

Bachelor internship in a relevant field (Biochemistry/ Cell Biology) with a minimum grade of 7.5 out of 10 or equivalent in other grading systems. If a final grade is not yet available an interim evaluation by the internship supervision will be considered.

Experience with practical laboratory techniques gained in coursework and the Bachelor internship.

Academic competence at the MSc level and motivation for a career in research which will be evaluated during an interview (either in person or by computer).

HBO/HLO students
Some HBO/HLO specializations (for example the research specializations Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or Biotechnology) provide adequate preparation for the Biomolecular Sciences Master's programme. The Admission board will decide about admission on the basis of the above criteria. In some but not all cases, admission may be possible without the need for a pre-master programme.

General language proficiency requirements
VU Amsterdam requires international applicants requiring a residence permit to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. In order to assess their English proficiency by the Admission board, EU students including Dutch students should contact the Master’s coordinator first. If applicable they can get an exemption from the language test. Exemptions are given to students who have completed their education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia, who have obtained an international Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate diploma and students from a Dutch University College such as AUC.

Contact
In case you wish to contact the Master’s coordinator for information or advice you need to know that no rights can be derived from the reply given by the coordinator regarding your admission. The Master’s coordinator will evaluate your application and advise the Admission board on conditions for your admission. The Board will review the application and the coordinator’s recommendation, and will decide if you can be admitted and under which conditions. Only by the admission email you will be notified about your conditional or unconditional admission.

For questions regarding your application, registration or general inquiries, please contact the International Student Advisor at the Central International Office: masters.fs@vu.nl.

General information about VU Amsterdam

Please phone us at +31 (0)20 59 85000 (Monday-Friday 9:00 to 12:00). You may also email us at study@vu.nl.

Contact our student ambassadors

If you are wondering what it is like to live and study in Amsterdam from a current student perspective, do not hesitate to contact our student ambassadors; they would love to share their experiences with you!

Mariella Franker

Student Cell Biology

"What I like about Biomolecular Sciences is its small scale that allows close contact with teachers and the many international students that participate. With my background in Medical Natural Sciences, Biomolecular Sciences broadened my view on possibilities in biological research. The fun thing about this master's programme is that you can design your own course schedule and easily take courses outside your field. It takes some planning and looking around, but is definitely worth the effort! I am now doing an internship at Complex Systems at VU Amsterdam and next year I'll do my final internship in New York. Questions? This is my e-mail address: mfr210@few.vu.nl"

Pia Burgmer

Student - Cell Biology

“I chose Biomolecular Sciences because I wanted to move away from my Bachelor's programme partially focussing on the medical side of Biology. A variety of courses such as Protein Science, Biological Fluorescence, and Molecular Cell Physiology and Function gave me insight into new possibilities of different branches of Molecular Biology. The programme also offers what I was additionally looking for: small groups to study in and good supervision throughout. After my Master's degree I hope to work for a company. I like the combination of working in the lab as well as planning my own experiment.”

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